Watch: Iga Swiatek breaks down in tears after Bad Homburg final loss

Iga Swiatek suffered a painful defeat in the Bad Homburg Open final against Jessica Pegula, missing out on what could have been her first grass-court title. The five-time Grand Slam champion hasn't had an easy past year, dropping in the rankings and without a title since Roland Garros 2024.

In fact, until this week, Swiatek hadn't even reached a final since her last major title. She had lost six consecutive semifinals, the last of them precisely at Roland Garros, where she fell to Aryna Sabalenka with a devastating 0-6 in the third set.

This time in Bad Homburg, Swiatek was looking to rediscover her form and finally find more consistency on the surface that has proven most challenging in her career. After 26 career finals and 22 titles won, she was reaching her first final on grass courts, though the challenge was significant against World No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

Swiatek performed well on serve, winning 68% of points on her first serve and 65% on her second, although this was slightly lower than her opponent's. She had only one break opportunity in the match and wasted it, while Pegula converted 2/5, which was enough to secure a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Images shared on social media show Swiatek crying inconsolably after losing in the final. The Pole had been almost unyielding in finals up to this point: a remarkable 22-4 record before Bad Homburg (85%) and winning her last nine consecutive finals played since Roland Garros 2023.